Allentown Bishop Alfred A. Schlert publicly criticized the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics in a letter released Sunday, condemning a performance he described as a “horrendous depiction of the Last Supper.”

In his letter, Schlert expressed his dismay over the portrayal of a drag queen as Jesus and transvestite apostles, calling it a sacrilegious mockery of the Christian faith.

“With one billion people watching, a horrendous depiction of the Last Supper, complete with a monstrous drag queen ‘Jesus’ and transvestite ‘apostles,’ was offered by the French Olympic organizers as their disdain and ridicule of the Christian faith,” Schlert wrote.

He emphasized the historical significance of France as the “Eldest Daughter of the Church” and lamented the mockery occurring in a country with deep Catholic roots.

Schlert’s statement came shortly after his return from the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, where he and others from the Diocese participated in a Eucharistic Procession and a concluding Holy Mass.

“The next day, last Sunday, the Eucharistic Congress concluded with a splendid Holy Mass, full of the vigor of the entire Church. Our Lord was truly present in those days,” he said, contrasting the spiritual experience of the Congress with the Olympics’ opening ceremony.

The performance in Paris sparked a debate among viewers with some seeing it as a bold artistic statement while others, like Schlert, viewed it as deeply offensive. Defenders of the ceremony argue that it was intended to challenge traditional representations and provoke thought about inclusivity and acceptance in modern society. They suggested the performance was not meant to mock, but rather to re-imagine and bring attention to contemporary issues through a familiar narrative.

Organizers released a statement over the weekend indicating the scene was not portraying the Last Supper, but instead depicting the Greek god Dionysus and an ancient festival meant to honor him.

“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps said in a daily press briefing. “On the contrary, I think Thomas Jolly, we really did try to celebrate community tolerance. Looking at the result of the polls that we shared, we believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are, of course, really, really sorry.”

However, Bishop Schlert said he saw the performance as part of a broader trend of secularization and marginalization of the Church.

“While this scandal occurred in France, given the increasing secularization and marginalization of the Church in our own Country, it could also happen here,” he said.

He called on the faithful to “recommit to public witness and reverence of the Holy Eucharist, pledging efforts to become Eucharistic missionaries and to undertake acts of reparation and penance.”

“The enemy wastes no time in trying to shock and discourage us, but our weapon is the Holy Eucharist, the power of which will never be defeated,” he said.